6990 (DWH 706W) - GREATER MANCHESTER'S LAST FLEETLINE AND THE LAST VEHICLE
DELIVERED TO LUT

Acquisition

Our objectives to obtain Greater
Manchester's last Fleetline were that although LUT was purchased by GM Transport
Ltd on 1st January 1976, it was not incorporated into the fleet until 1st April
1981. However, in the knowledge that this would one day take place, the later
deliveries of rear engined vehicles to LUT were built to the identical
specification of the more conventional GMT Standard.

In all, there were 90 vehicles so
delivered as LUT 485-529/542/570-613 between 1977 and 1980. We were in
negotiations to acquire the first LUT Standard, 6901 to return to its original
red/grey condition, when we also considered the subject of trying to decide
whether it would be a worthwhile objective to try to preserve Greater
Manchester's last, not only Standard Fleetline, but the last Fleetline of all
time, following on from the first delivered to LUT 97 (561 TD) and Manchester
4590 (4590 NE) in 1962.

In this exercise, we had to consider
which vehicle would warrant the description of the last Greater Manchester
Fleetline. The last of the GMT batch of Fleetlines, 8001-8150 was 8150 (4150 -
MNC 493W) on 22nd August 1980. However, this was delivered in advance of the
last of the LUT batch of Fleetlines, 6990, which was delivered on 1st January
1981. LUT was not incorporated into Greater Manchester Transport until 1st April
1981, but it can now be said that 6990 is, in fact, the last Greater Manchester
Fleetline of all time.

Clearly, therefore, when considering
preserving the last Fleetline it would have to be 6990. We made contact with
Greater Manchester Buses North Ltd (trading as First Manchester) with regard to
this vehicle, and they acknowledged our interest in it, being Greater
Manchester's last Fleetline.

Indeed, of the 90 Leyland Fleetlines
delivered to LUT to GMT Standard specifications, the first 30 (LUT Numbers
485-514) subsequently re-numbered in the GMT series 6901-6930, were delivered in
LUT red and grey colours. The remaining 60 (LUT Numbers 515-529/542/570-613)
were delivered in a special orange/ white/orange livery with a wavy GMT 'M'
symbol but Fleet name Lancashire United Transport and were numbered eventually
on incorporation to GMT as 6931-6990. This special orange/white/orange livery
was similar as that applied to GMT Leyland Titan B15's - 4001-4015 and the
majority of the Metrobuses starting as 5001.

6990 (LUT 613) was also significant in
that as well as being Greater Manchester's last Fleetline and a 'book-end' to
the preserved 1962 Fleetline 561TD, it is also the very last vehicle delivered
new to Lancashire United Transport on 1st January 1981 prior to its absorption
into the GMT Fleet on 1st April 1981.

In the article about the end of the
West Midlands Fleetlines in the January 1998 edition of Buses Magazine, they
indicated that West Midlands had a total of 2,292 Fleetlines in respect of those
inherited and those ordered by the West Midlands PTE, of which 840 were their
'Standard Fleetline'. Our research has indicated that SELNEC/GMPTE operated a
total of 1,282 Fleetlines from inherited fleets or ordered specifically for
them, of which 14 where single deck and 605 were Standard Fleetlines, being
EX7-EX21, 7151-7500, 8001-8150 and 6901-6990.

A total list of Fleetlines as
inherited by SELNEC/GMPTE or ordered by them, appears below:

Double Deck

Manchester

SHMD

LUT

4590 - 4629

5613 - 5647

97 - 102

4655 - 4684

138 - 142

4701 - 4760

Rochdale

171 - 185

6223 - 6244

2358 - 2363

Mancunians

2394 - 2413

2001 - 2048

Bury

6901 - 6990

2051 - 2097

6317 - 6350

2101 - 2144

SELNEC

2151 - 2304

North Western

EX7 - EX21

1 - 6

7151 - 7400

Salford

8

4036 - 4037

10- 13

GMT

4040 - 4042

15- 21

7401 - 7500

4100 - 4114

8001 - 8150

Ex London

4165 - 4189

2318 - 2337

4197 - 4210

Single Deck

6030 - 6033

6038

6089 - 6097

We had confirmation from First
Manchester in February 1998 that when 6990 became available, we would be
contacted, which we were, by letter of 7th December 1998. The bus had been taken
out of service due to a minor cylinder-head gasket problem which was affecting
the heating system. Quite understandably, in the cold weather, drivers were
reluctant to take it out on service with no heating. Because a batch of new
Volvo Olympians had arrived, it was decided that the bus would not be repaired,
and arrangements were made for us to acquire it, which we did on Friday, 11th
December 1998, when we received all appropriate paperwork.

We then visited Bolton Depot on
Sunday, 13th December 1998, to collect 6990 to take it to our storage premises
in Wigan. It was taxed until 31st December 1998, and MOTed until February 1999,
so we just needed to put it on our insurance for the day, to drive it to Wigan.
During the trip, we kept stopping to keep the water topped-up due to the low
water and high water temperature warning lights coming on and going off.

6990 was initially parked up next to
EX19 which made an interesting comparison being the earliest existing Standard
Fleetline from 1972 (EX19) and Greater Manchester's last Fleetline from 1981
(6990), both with Northern Counties bodywork, it was moved into Leigh during the
summer of 2000.

The first co-ordinated body set up as
a result of the Transport Act 1968, was SELNEC PTE from 1st November 1969, this
became GMT from 1st April 1974 and GM Buses from 26th October 1986 which then
became split into two companies due to Conservative Government pressure on 1st
April 1994, into GM Buses North Ltd and GM Buses South Ltd.

These Companies subsequently became
First Manchester and Stagecoach Manchester respectively.

Whereas Stagecoach Manchester disposed
of all the remaining Fleetlines, and indeed their Atlanteans some years ago, the
same was not true of the North part of the Company. In terms of Fleetlines, they
had a number operating, being ex-GMT vehicles in the batch 8001-8150, and the
ex-LUT batch 6901-6990, and had indicated they might consider a last Fleetline
running day late in 1999 when the last Fleetlines were scheduled to come out of
service.

However, as often happens in
operational matters, decisions change and priorities alter. However, despite the
withdrawal of 6990 and our acquisition of it on 11th December 1998, we had still
anticipated that First Manchester would run Fleetlines until late 1999.

However, the number of Fleetlines had
been dwindling towards the end of 1998 and we were then informed on Wednesday
6th January 1999, that the following day, Thursday 7th January 1999 would be the
last Fleetline running day, which is what happened, and all operational running
vehicles transferred after that date to First Calderdale in Yorkshire.

We were very kindly contacted by the
local management at First Manchester's Depot in Bolton, who were the last
operators of the Fleetlines, to indicate that they still had in their yard, two
Fleetlines, 6982 and 6989, the first being in Manchester Red colours and the
second in ex-GMB colours, both ready to be sent to the Scrap Yard, being their
last two Fleetlines.

They were obviously aware of our
requirement in general for spare parts for our ex-SELNEC/GMT Standard vehicles
and in particular, our requirement to service our more recently acquired
vehicles, especially EX19, 7501 and, of course, 6990.

Consequently, we were given an
excellent opportunity to acquire spare parts to restore our SELNEC/GMT Standards
in general and 6990 in particular, by being invited to First Manchester Depot in
Bolton on Saturday, 16th January 1999 to remove all parts we need for immediate
and long-term preservation from these two scrapped vehicles, 6982 and 6989. Our
appreciation to First Manchester has been recorded, for their understanding on a
practical level of the difficulties we face in preservation.

It is sad to note that 7th January
1999 was, in fact, the last day of Fleetline operation in Greater Manchester by
those organisations reflecting co-ordinated operation of transport operations
throughout the area after 37 years.

We have been contacted via our website by
an Andrew Bowyer, in respect of how this vehicle was delivered, and the content
of his e-mail of 6th June 2001 is reproduced below:

"Your Society may like to note for
restoration purposes that 6990 (613), although delivered to LUT in January
1981 in their version of the orange/white Greater Manchester livery, in fact
always bore GMT fleetnames from the start, and not "Lancashire United
Transport" stacked next to M-blem. 6988 + 6989 were the same (611/612).

Indeed, it started operating with GMT
legal lettering - but this was corrected, by some loyal LUT man, no doubt!"

Consequently, although we show in our
publicity a "wavy M" and Lancashire United Transport against 6990, this is
incorrect and it is one of perhaps only three Standards to be delivered in the
orange/white/orange LUT application with a GMT fleet name as opposed to LUT.
Obviously this will have to be borne in mind when we restore this vehicle to its
original condition in years to come.

Interestingly this brings to three the
applications of fleet names and symbols to the 60 Leyland Fleetlines delivered
to Lancashire United Transport in orange/white. It should be remembered that the
first 30, 6901-6930 were delivered in LUT red/grey, and thereafter 6931-6990 in
orange/white/orange. The first 11 however, 6931-6941, had a large white "wavy M"
emblem on the bonnet (no fleet name), but from 6942 onwards they just had
conventional "wavy M" and LUT fleet names on the sides of the vehicles until
they reached 6988-6990, where these three last vehicles had the LUT (Lancashire
United Transport) replaced with the wording "Greater Manchester Transport".

6990

BATCH:

6931 - 6990 (Type iv (R))

(DWH 706W)

BODY:

Northern Counties H43/32F - Mark 1A

CHASSIS:

Leyland Fleetline FE30GR

FIRST REGISTERED:

1st January, 1981

PURCHASED:

11th December, 1998

DETAILS:

Greater Manchester's last Fleetline and the last vehicle
delivered to Lancashire United Transport, in special LUT orange and white
livery.

Restoration commences...

Although our major project
for restoration during 2005 was 7960, which is now nearing completion in terms
of the internal rectification we have decided to divert resources onto the
subsequent project 6990 in order to hopefully have it ready for the event of 100
Years of Lancashire United Transport to be organised and run by the Museum of
Transport on Saturday and Sunday 20th and 21st
May 2006.

This vehicle delivered as
LUT 613 was the last new bus purchased by LUT on 1st
January 1981 before its amalgamation fully into the GMT fleet on 1st
April 1981. In addition because it was delivered after the last GMT
Standard Fleetline 8150 (MNC 493W) on 22nd August 1980
it also represents the last Fleetline delivered to Greater Manchester.
Consequently, on our first working day of 2006, being Sunday 8th
January 2006, whilst a small amount of rectification took place on 7960
the major attention turned to 6990 in the continuation of work on the upper deck
melamine, windows, aluminium, fibreglass, ducting and seat frames all being
attended to in situ. Also the damaged front panel and offside and nearside
lower fibreglass corner panels were removed in order to be replaced. Whilst
these were off the vehicle areas of the front of the chassis were attended to,
principally being cleaned, red-oxided and painted. It will also be necessary to
replace one of the windscreens, the driver’s side, and because the rubber
surrounds are in a poor state of repair samples of the windscreen rubber and the
central rubber divider that keeps the two windscreens apart were taken away and
subsequently sent to Auto Windscreens for new rubber to be manufactured. We do
have original destination and via blinds for this bus representing LUT style at
its original depot of Swinton but they are in poor condition. Consequently
these were sent away to Norbury Blinds in order for new blinds in the correct
typeface to be manufactured. In anticipation of the rectification of 6990 a
full set of new front, side and rear white on black route number blinds had been
secured and the first of these were fitted during this working day.

7960 still has problems with
its automatic gear change function, in that upon a road test which took place on
the working day on 8th January 2006, the gears still
did not operate in sequence in that it was necessary to over-rev second gear to
obtain third and then the vehicle would change direct to fifth gear. This has
caused us to have a look again at the piping of the air supply to the EP unit
with a view to having this issue rectified once and for all.

Previously 6990 has
exhibited problems in that it does not start from the cab or the rear and has to
be fired into action by shorting out the starter motor and some work was
undertaken on the electrics and a new button ordered to resolve the problem
permanently.

Significant progress was
achieved principally with 6990 over the next two working days of the New Year,
Sunday 29th January and Sunday 19th
February 2006, in that 6990 had put in it the new three side route
numbers, a new tax disc holder, new wing mirrors and arms in the correct style
exhibited on the bus when it was new and new rear view mirror again in the
correct style. The vehicles built around the time of 6990 had on the lower deck
four slider windows, the last two windows on the nearside and offside. There
were only two in the bus, one in the wrong position on the nearside and the
smaller one in the offside position five was in place but had a damaged
aluminium sliding mechanism. Consequently, work commenced on returning the
window configuration to normal in that the hopper and the slider were switched
over on the nearside and a spare full length slider was located in stock to be
fitted at a future point as was a replacement small slider window with fully
operating aluminium fittings. A replacement front fibreglass corner panel was
fitted to the nearside of the bus having been donated to us on 15th
June 2002 from a Delaine Atlantean No. 119 (ex-GMT 8224 – ANA 224T) and
the existing offside lower fibreglass corner panel had been repaired with a
fibreglass renovation kit and was made ready to be put back on the offside.
Both the windscreens were taken out with the nearside one being set aside and
retained to be refitted and the offside one disposed off with an appropriate
design and good condition spare offside windscreen being sourced from spares.
These are now ready to fit subject to work in the windscreen area in terms of
repainting and cleaning being concluded, access being relatively easy to this
area whilst windscreens are out.

Also supplied was new rubber
for the windscreen surrounds and the central dividing rubber had been sourced
from RAC Auto Windscreens so that the damaged windscreen rubber can be disposed
of in order to improve enormously the whole front end, in terms of windscreens,
rubber and the three piece lower fibreglass front. The central panel of 6990
had become damaged and consequently from stock we switched it for a spare which
incidentally comes from the same batch of vehicles, being ex-6971, still
exhibiting its registration plate when we extracted it from stock. All four
wheels on 6990 have been wire brushed, sanded down and painted in red oxide.
From stock we have found two Fleetline hub cap clips which are to be rectified
before fitting. We also located two front Fleetline hub caps which require a
little bit of attention before they too can be fitted once the clips have been
fitted to the bus. The problem with starting the bus from the cab was resolved
with a new start switch being fitted to the cab and the sticking accelerator had
some attention to make it more responsive. The bonnet did cause us some
concern, initially we were looking to replace it, however, by relocating some
fixtures and fittings under the bonnet, moving the heat shield and by adjusting
the bolts and screws we managed to level it up. Finally a couple of small
cracks on the bonnet were rectified by use of the fibreglass restoration kit.

We had attempted to fit the
new rear route number blinds but the gear mechanism was seized solid and after
some difficulty removing it a spare unit was obtained from stores and repainted
so that on a future working day the rear route numbers can be fitted and the
unit returned to the bus. Whilst it was out the opportunity was taken to vacuum
out the entire area behind the unit, licence plate and behind the back seat.

In terms of lights on the
vehicle it was determined that all of them should be replaced except for the
headlights and consequently the standard BMAC 757 indicator units were fitted
both to the offside and the nearside of the vehicle, having swapped over the
orange lenses from criss-cross to circles. Combination BMAC 758 side light and
indicator units were fitted to the replacement and repaired two front lower
fibreglass front corner panels as a prelude to being refitted to the vehicle.
Brand new clear fog and fluted spotlights were also fitted to the two lower
fibreglass front corner panels, the originals having been long removed and
finally the more modern BMAC rear combination light units 343 VRFS were fitted
to both rear pods thereby replacing all the lights other than the two headlights
on the vehicle.

Work also continued on the
inside of the bus in that the upper deck had its windows cleaned in terms of the
glass and the aluminium hoppers including inside the hoppers themselves which
can harbour dirt over a number of years. All the upper deck seat frames were
painted grey and a start was made to paint the upper deck floor. Initial
sanding and red-oxiding had taken place on the lower deck to aluminium areas and
seat frames.

In relation to 7960 very
little activity was embarked upon, except that following its re-piping of the EP
valve the vehicle, upon test, now changes correctly through all its gears and
the throttle dip is also fully functional.

Further progress was made
thereafter on 6990 by various members visiting on odd evenings and odd weekend
days as well as progress on the next scheduled working day, Sunday 12th
March 2006, in order that externally the bus was in a position to be
moved for assessment, re-panelling and filling at North West Bus and Coach
Repairs Limited in Blackburn previously S & T Coach Painters Limited. Work
undertaken prior to this move was to finish the front end in that the new
windscreen rubber was applied and the windscreens re-fitted. The offside lower
fibreglass corner panel was attached as was the central panel and two new
windscreen wiper arms and blades fitted. Some work was undertaken in sanding
down areas round the lower deck windows and some further attention was given to
repair work on the bonnet. All its oils and fluids were checked and a
replacement set of batteries wired into the vehicle and once started up a check
was made to ensure that all the replacement lights were fully operational. On
the inside of the vehicle the upper deck was almost finished in the sense that
the window glass and hoppers had been cleaned with one damaged hopper on the
offside of the bus being replaced. All the fibreglass ducting was re-painted in
the correct brown paint, all the seat frames had been painted grey and the floor
treated in Neogene deck paint.

At the same time the
opportunity was taken to clean all the upper deck melamine and progress was even
made on the lower deck in the sense that all the seat frames were painted grey,
the ducting painted brown and all the melamine cleaned, so that there would be
less to attend to on the interior of the bus when it returns from re-panelling,
servicing and re-painting.

Once this work had been
carried out by North West Bus & Coach Repairers 6990 was ready for collection
but, unfortunately, the air system would not build up sufficient pressure to
take the brakes off or allow the vehicle to obtain gears. Consequently, we had
it towed on Wednesday 19th April 2006 to Whittakers Coach Travel in
Penwortham where we had originally intended to drive it. Once there the problem
with the air system was resolved by replacing a few valves and the work intended
to be carried out on it was undertaken. This was to fit a replacement bonnet
ram, re-wiring the window heater elements, deal with the sticking accelerator,
undertake a full service ready for MOT and then steam clean and spray the
chassis under the wheel arches and engine unit with anti-corrosive paint.
Unfortunately, however, once servicing work had begun further problems were
identified, in particular that the fuel tank was leaking and was sent away for
repair and also the vehicle needed a new exhaust silencer box. At the same time
the bus was sanded down, undercoated and re-painted in the orange and white
livery that LUT used for its Standard Fleetlines 6931-6990.

In all LUT had 90 Fleetlines
delivered to a Standard specification because even though it was run as a
separate company during the period of delivery of vehicles between 1977 and
1981, it was owned by the Greater Manchester PTE, having been purchased on 1st
January 1976 albeit not being fully integrated into the fleet until 1st
April 1981. These vehicles were delivered in a series of different registration
batches:-

OBN
-R

PTD
-S

TWH
-T

YTE
-V

BCB
-W

DWH
-W

The LUT numbers were
485-429/542/570-613.

It was only later that they
were integrated into the full GMT fleet and renumbered 6901 to 6990. The first
30 of these were delivered in LUT red and grey, although they had seat coverings
in orange. The latter 60 were painted in metropolitan orange and white as per
the GMT colour specs but in an application similar to that used on the Titans
4001-4015 and Metrobuses 5001 to 5120. They had the same light brown wheels as
used across the whole GMT fleet at that time. This bus is being fast-tracked so
it can make its inaugural appearance at the 100 Years of LUT Event at the Museum
of Transport on 20th and 21st
May 2006 because as well as
being Greater Manchester’s last Fleetline it was the last bus delivered new to
LUT on 1st January 1981.

Whilst it has been away at
Whittakers Coach Travel in Penwortham two members did visit it on 23rd
April 2006 to finish off the fitting of the correct lower deck rear slider
windows and to refit the rear route number display.

Thereafter we were
able to provide from our spares a replacement silencer to be fitted in place of
the damaged unit that had to be removed and then we had a number of problems
with the fuel tank. Although we have spare Atlantean fuel tanks we do not have
any spares for Fleetlines in stock and consequently the badly damaged fuel tank
on the bus had to be sent away to a specialist repair unit to be rebuilt with a
strengthened bonded structure. This took longer than anticipated and
consequently a temporary fuel tank was fitted to the vehicle so that it could
attend and fortuitously pass its Class V MOT on 10th
May 2006 and that very evening members of the Society visited Whittakers Coach
Travel. By that time all but the snagging had yet to be undertaken on its
re-paint, and we fitted that evening all the appropriate vinyls to the vehicle,
being fleet numbers, fleet names, legal lettering and all the various internal
and external transfers pointing to the functionality of the operation of the
vehicle along with directions for passengers. Because of the vehicle’s exterior
re-paint every single vinyl had to be replaced from the complexities of the
large fleet names to small indicative transfers such as water, fuel, etc.
Luckily on the inside of the vehicle many of the original transfers had remained
intact and consequently we only had to replace about a third of these with new
vinyls in the correct typeface, colour and style.

Also on this evening
the majority of the lower deck floor was painted in protective Neogene deck
tread paint.

Eventually the fuel
tank was returned and fitted on Saturday 13th May 2006
with the vehicle being delivered back to our premises in Leigh on the late
evening of that day in preparation for the working day that was to follow.
Unfortunately there appeared to be a blockage in one of the fuel pipes near one
of the filters and to save time this was bypassed in order that we could
conclude the rectification work and take the vehicle to its unveiling at the 100
Years of LUT Event at Manchester Museum of Transport,
with a view to having the fuel problem resolved at a quieter time later in the
year.

On working day Sunday
14th May 2006, 6990 was at the centre of our attention in order that
work on it could be completed with a number of snagging items carried out on the
external paintwork, original Fleetline hub cap clips and silver disks were
fitted to the front of the bus and replacement water and fuel turn off plates to
the back.

The new destination
and via blind made by Norbury Blinds of Birmingham reflecting the correct LUT
typeface and style were fitted to the bus and Chem Dry came down to thoroughly
clean all the seats. We had managed to make up from spares a full set of the
all over orange moquette on both decks. All the internal melamine was cleaned
as were all the inside windows and lower deck outside windows. The whole of the
cab area was attended to and repainted.

Finally finishing
touches such as re-fitting the head lamp and fog lamp silver surrounds were
attended to before we ran out of time. Consequently, a couple of members
attended the premises on Tuesday 16th May 2006 principally to
conclude internal painting of the aluminium surfaces and finish off the Neogene
deck tread paint on the lower deck, staircase, steps, etc., with a few final
snagging jobs being undertaken on Friday 19th May 2006 with a couple
of internal fittings exchanged such as the hazard switch and the concertina
blind at the back of the cab from spares. The upper deck external windows were
cleaned and the bus was moved to the Museum of Transport on Friday evening, 19th
May 2006, ready for its launch the following day at the 100 Years of LUT Event.

We were faced with a
dilemma in choosing the precise vinyls to put on the vehicle because technically
although delivered as one of the last three standard LUT Fleetlines it actually
had Greater Manchester Transport fleet names and legal lettering whilst carrying
an LUT number 613. Whilst there were 90 vehicles in the original batch which
depicted all sorts of varieties of updates and changes, it is highly unlikely
that many will be restored and we decided to approach the matter with a more
generalised view, to reflect key elements of what the batch represented.
Consequently, we chose to put the fleet number 6990 on it (rather than 613), to
reflect its status as Greater Manchester’s last ever Fleetline. We also chose
to apply to it LUT fleet names and legal lettering in order to reflect its
status as the last new vehicle delivered to LUT and in order for it to be
identified as a LUT vehicle, especially as it was about to attend an event
marking 100 years of LUT.

Securing vehicles for
preservation is relatively inexpensive because of a very small second, and
subsequent, hand bus market but the main costs are storage, particularly
internal storage, and then there is funding required for insurance, breakdown
cover, etc. However, it is when a restoration is embarked upon that the costs
start to increase and although many replacement parts are secured from spares
obtained over the years from spare vehicles there are still costs in terms of
servicing work, items purchased new, repairs, etc. In order that members might
get a feel for the costs of becoming involved in bus restoration we have tracked
the costs involved in restoring 6990. What appears below is a schedule of the
costs involved in restoring 6990 from the condition it had been kept in since it
appeared in Greater Manchester Buses North colours at the Trans-Lancs Historic
Vehicle Rally on 3rd September 1999 to early January 2006 when our
rectification programme commenced to have it ready for the 100 Years of LUT
Event.

The costs as you will
see from the list below are quite extensive.

RECTIFICATION COSTS – 6990 (DWH 706W)

Tow to Whittakers

£287.87

Wing mirrors and rear
view mirror

£62.63

Wipers (2 arms and 2
blades)

£79.01

Windscreen rubber

£136.60

Fog and Spot lights

£120.00

Front, side and rear
lights

£453.34

Re-cover some damaged and
daded moquette

£86.00

All bodywork repairs and
repanelling

£3,137.25

Paint

£269.78

Painting

£750.00

Blinds - Destination /
via

£436.80

Number Blinds x9

£315.49

Repair work at Whittakers

£2,593.97

Fuel tank repair

£542.58

TOTAL

£9,271.59

These costs would
however have been significantly higher had it been necessary to purchase many of
the spare items that we secured from scrap vehicles over the years in
anticipation of a rectification of this kind.